Things guests asked for that surprised you

[Laura2592]

The full-length mirror thread got me thinking. What have guests commented on or asked for that surprised you? In our case guests have asked for the following that we didn't have/would not have thought to supply/don't use ourselves:

1. glue for crafting

2. a lemon zester

3. a pizza cutter (we have one now, but figured the knives we have work just as well)

4. a pot filler over the stove (WAY too expensive at the moment!)

5. a blender or food processor

6. A meat thermometer (we are vegetarians so this one really passed us by.)

Because we use our space as a weekend house its fully stocked with a lot of things. But some things we would have not thought of.  What have your guests asked for that you just would not have thought of or were surprised by?

*image added by Airbnb OCM https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/choosing-a-collage-glue-1249487

[Anonymous]

Tampons.

[Laura2592]

@Anonymous  haha yes I can see how those might be an urgent item! But certainly guests can be responsible for that on their own?

Likewise we have a first aid kit and a bottle of ibuprofen for guests. I have had some ask for things for migraines, indigestion, sleep problems, vitamin E pills, etc. We are not a pharmacy....

[Anonymous]

@Laura2592 fortunately there are shops within a block where any item like this can be purchased. Perhaps if I lived in a remote location, I'd add feminine products to the emergency supply stash. 

[Jennifer1421]

@Anonymous @Laura2592 

I keep 3 tampons in the suite. I figure that if someone gets caught out, 3 will do them until they leave in the morning. I've rarely needed to restock, but I imagine that the guests who needed them, really appreciated them 😉

[Sarah977]

@Anonymous  Ah yes, but what if a woman gets "surprised" in the middle of the night (not all women's bodies are regular about that and it may come when they weren't expecting it for a few more days)? It would probably be preferable that there was an emergency stash for guests than that they had an accident on your sheets.

I had a boyfriend who had tampons in his bathroom cabinet. I assumed they had been left there by his ex girlfriend, but no, he told me that his mother had impressed upon him that a considerate man always keeps a tampon stash in the bathroom cabinet for female friends and family who may come to visit.

It's probaby more useful to female guests to find some emergency tampons available than spare toothbrushes.

[Danielle476]

I supply tampons, pads, makeup removing wipes and cotton balls.  I'd rather spend $7 on a box of tampons than $80 on new bed sheets!  Guests have really appreciated the gesture.

[Anonymous]

@Danielle476  Nothing wrong with supplying whatever things help prevent your less thoughtful guests from leaving a mess  (my room basket includes tissues and makeup wipes but more intimate items would be awkward iclusions in a shared home). I just found it funny that someone assumed I'd just happen to have tampons in my personal stash.

We have convenience stores open 24/7, fortunately, so anyone with a basic sense of self-reliance can readily tend to their needs.

[Danielle476]

To each their own!  I don't think it makes a guest 'less thoughtful' if they happen to need a tampon or pad...any woman will tell you mother nature comes and goes as she pleases - accidents happen.  It's not under my guest's control so I'm happy to provide these items as an interim solution until they can get to a store.  (Nobody wants to run out at 3 am for emergency supplies, trust me!)  Tampons and pads aren't any more intimate than toilet paper is...having these items in your shared spaces really shouldn't make you feel uncomfortable!  🙂

[Doug-And-Becky0]

I'm super new at this and I had a lady ask me for a box fan. She can't sleep without the noise.

[Sean433]

@Doug-And-Becky0 @Laura2592 

Did you end up buying one just for her? She could have just played sound from her phone. Knowing this, I would have been almost offended by such a request and declined at the sign of a fussy guest. How can someone ask for a host to pay for such a specific item that was never listed as an amenity in the first place?

At what point do the requests become unreasonable that you say "no"? You can host 100 guests over the course of a year. If you add up all of the items each of the 100 guests have in their own home, you will have hundreds of various items. It is not feasible to have every item that every guest wants/has in their own home.

I often say no if it is a request for an item that almost no other guest will use.

[Laura2592]

@Sean433  I think you make a valid point. We all want guests to feel at home in our spaces, but where is the line between "at home in my space" and "exactly the way you prefer your own space"? I have said before that there can be confusion with some guests that they are not purchasing our cottage to live in a la House Hunters on HGTV, but merely hanging out for a few days to enjoy it. 

I personally think that guests should supply their own meds and hygiene items beyond the typical body and hair washing products that are offered. But its really nice that some hosts leave these things for people. I have never stayed as a guest where that was the case. And though our kitchen is fully stocked, we really prefer our guests not to do major gourmet meals, deep fry or simmer things for days as our place doesn't have the best ventilation. I am sure there plenty of hosts that are set up for that. 

[Doug-And-Becky0]

We had two 9" box fans already. So we asked her if that would do, and she said yes.

[Patricia55]

@Laura2592 

I've been hosting for over 4 years and can't think of anything weird/unexpected anyone's asked for... or maybe they asked and we just said, nah, we don't have that, and it was forgotten... 😉

I don't know what it is... maybe we somehow get it across that we're simple folks and don't provide luxuries..? Our price?

Oh, we had a couple of guests, last summer, wearing summer clothing, who asked for the central heating to be put on... and when I saw they had the windows wide open, I just had to say a big fat NO!! Ridiculous.

[Trevor243]

When I first started letting the holiday homes, I had other owners telling me all sorts, like I'd never rented out a property in my life (I had) ..... they were saying how I needed to have this and that and loads of other stuff .... and the things that always stick in my mind are the cot beds / high chairs for babies and toddlers .... and thing is, very few babies and toddlers come away on holiday here, and if they do, I'm guessing the parents must bring their own cot beds and high chairs .... I've only been asked once for a cot bed (never for a high chair) and the guest said at the time if we have one great, but if not they'll just bring their own .... and I think of all the other owners with cupboards and spare space crammed with stuff that never gets used but is there just in case anyone ever wants it ....

[Amanda660]

Worcestershire Sauce 

Branston Pickle

Coffee Grinder

Babysitter